Udanti’s wild buffaloes to be radio-collared

In a first-of-its-kind conservation project in India, Chhattisgarh Forest Department will affix radio collars on four wild buffaloes next month as part of its conservation project for the animals. The rapid decline in the numbers of the species raised major concern, said SK Singh, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife). Hence, a phase-wise conservation project was planned. “At present, there is no scientific data on the movement of wild buffaloes. Radio collaring will provide information on the range of movement in and around Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary. Conservation efforts can be initiated in the areas they move with the help of this information,” he said.

The department is also working on captive breeding to improve their numbers. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is part of the conservation efforts, Singh said.

Rahul Kaul, Senior Director, WTI, explained that the data from radio collaring is needed as manual tracking was impossible due to the forest terrain. “The tracking exercise will help identify the areas they move in. Mitigation measures to reduce crop damage and sensitizing locals can be initiated, accordingly. Similarly, if it’s found that weeds have taken over their preferred grazing locations, those regions can be managed through habitat restoration,” he said.

WTI is also consulting Dr Markus Hofmeyr of South Africa National Parks (SANParks), who is an expert on large mammal tranquilisation. He will visit India to help the forest department in tranquilising the wild buffaloes for collaring, Kaul told DNA.

A joint survey conducted by wildlife biologist Dr RP Mishra, Head, Central India Wild buffalo Conservation Project and Coordinator for WTI and the forest department in 2006 revealed that there were only seven wild buffaloes, with just one female at Udanti. In 1998, the numbers were estimated to be around 35. “Fearing that buffaloes might go extinct from Udanti, the department initiated the ‘Wild Buffalo Conservation Project’ in December 2006 under which the lone female Aasha was moved into a massive 36 hectare enclosure created in the sanctuary and was allowed to mate with males from wild,” Mishra said.

“Udanti now has five free ranging wild buffaloes while six are housed in the enclosed area including Aasha, and her offsprings, a female calf and four males,” said Mishra, who holds a PhD on Wild buffaloes, and has been waging a battle to save these species.

MATTER OF FACT

Wild buffaloes are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, and are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature

The grazers help manage the grassland’s ecosystem, and have economic importance too as the wild buffalo population is a useful resource for domestic buffalo breeding